Other Projects

Here you will find other stuff I may be dabbling in. Progress will be slow so don't expect much in the way of updates.

FIGHTING FANTASY

One of my childhood passions was the Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson adventure game books where you choose your own path and have a simple character with basic stats. The books were very good and I collected a good many of them, but was forced to get rid of them in a clear out when I left home. Luckily I have re-aquired most of them and some that I never had as well. There were alternatives to the Fighting Fantasy line, "Sorcery!" by Steve Jackson was a great trilogy and there was also the classic "Lone Wolf" series and a very good ninja series whose name escapes me. A computer game was made for the ZX Spectrum of those books as well. It was my ambition when young to write my own gamebook and is still quite an attractive idea. I have ideas down and will probably finish the project below before I tackle this with any seriousness.

Many moons ago Games Workshop produced one of the best boardgames of all time (no don't argue just nod in agreement!!) TALISMAN. Whilst I was a latecomer to it (2nd Edition was out when I played this for the first time) due to my preferred interest in RPG games it is a game that remains foremost in my bank of fond memories of youth. When Fantasy Flight Games rereleased a 4th Revised Edition not long ago I snapped it up immediately, along with all the expansion packs to date. I don't get to play it much, but I haven't lost a game yet and could spend all day playing it quite happily.

I must admit that before Talisman was rereleased by Black Library as the 4th Edition I did hope that Games Workshop would see the light and do something with this game. Fate obviously smiled upon me that day. Nice to see they also gave some love to Space Hulk, although never having played it I was the stupid one who didn't buy it before it sold out and doubled in price on Ebay.

Talisman was kept quite alive by many people on the net, with home brew expansions and information on everything that was ever released. The site I first stumbled upon was one that still continues to this day - "Talisman Island" - and who's webmaster (Jon New) is one of the games playtesters. To just re-affirm how big a collector Jon is, bear in mind that he has all the editions and expansions - most of them, if not all, in all of the issued languages and the original paintings done by Ralph Horsely of all the box art for the expansions and game itself. Yes a bigger fan you will probably not find.

Anyway, the project. Inspired by all the home brew stuff created by others for the game I thought I would create an expansion of my own. My expansion is called "Night Fall" and its premise was to include cards in the game that dictated a more dangerous deck of encounters be used and introduce a night time mechanic. So nasty things like vampires and werewolves come into play and a host of other cards. New followers, characters and spells will also be created. Listed below you can see a work in progress of the cards so far. I hope to do artwork for them when the cards themselves are finalised and everything will be posted in here.

A lot of this wont make sense to you if you have not played Talisman before, in which case it will be well worth your time to visit Fantasy Flight Games website and checking it out. Or click the link on the home page here that leads you to the Talisman Island website.

Here are some of the cards so far. The headings depict the card type although I have not decided how many of each or a total or anything like that yet, just getting all my ideas down first and then sort through them. There is a new card type introduced "Power of Fate" these are dynamic cards which allow a player to strategically throw some additional chaos into the game.

ADVENTURE
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"Moonless Night" During your travels through the night you stray off course,go back to your previous position and continue to move in the other direction.

"Card Sharps" Place this card on the Tavern. A group of card cheats spend countless nights taking money from all comers. If the gambler is your follower you may not collect 1 G and must lose 3g.You may not win any gold whilst these cheats are at the tavern!

"Fortified Camp" - Keep this card. You may set up a well defended camp and safely leave any followers and items here until you decide to return and break camp. No other player may take your cards. Card is then discarded.

POWER OF FATE
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"Plague" - Place this card on any corner space. Any character landing here must roll a dice for themselves or their followers. A roll of 1 indicates the dreaded Black Death! Characters must lose 1 life, followers must be discarded at the end of the following turn.

"Rockslide" - May be played against any character on the Chasm. That player is trapped in a rockslide and must miss their next turn.

"Lost" - May be played against any character in the Forst. The player hs lost their way and must lose the following turn. They may not use followers to negate thits card.

MONSTERS
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The Living Dead (Monster) Strength 3. A horde of Zombies are lumbering towards you, fight 6 zombies until you lose a combat. As each combat is won, reduce any strength bonuses by 1 point.If you defeat them all you may exchange this card for a strength point.

Zombie (Monster) Strength 3

Ghoul (Monster) Strength 5

Banshee (Monster) Craft 5 The scream of the banshee is terrifying. When fighting her NO craft bonuses are applicable.

Spider Queen (Boss Monster) Strength 9 You have unwittingly stumbled into the horrific lair of a spider queen! If you defeat her you may take a treasure card.

Vampire (Monster) Strength 8 Craft 9 The Vampire will attack you using your weakest attribute. If you defeat the Vampire roll 1 die. 1-3 The Vampire crumbles to dust 4-6 The Vampire escapes death and remains here until dawn.

Werewolf (Monster) Strength 9 If you are defeated by the werewolf you are struck by its curse! Place your character card to one side and take a werewolf character card until you are cured.

Rotting Horror (Monster) Strength 5 - You discover this beast in an old Tomb, and now you must fight it! Roll 1 die if you defeat it. 1-4 The tomb has been robbed. 5-6 Gain 1G

Ghostly Apparitions (Spirit) Craft 7 - Spirits of deceased murder victims haunt this area -- You have disturbed their fragile rest! Lose 1 craft if you are defeated.

The Headless Horseman (Monster) Strength 6. You are accosted by a deadly spectral highwayman. You may evade by paying him 1 gold.

Hulking Monster (Monster) Strength 6 A strangely deranged massive monster lurks from the shadows towards you and attacks! If you win roll 1 die. 1-3 the beast is dead. 4-6 It lives to fight another day.

Children of the Hills (Monsters)

Snarl-Lings (Monster) Strength 5. These slippery beasts are upon you and your followers! Each follower must fight a combat, those followers without a strength or craft attribute count as strength 3. Place any defeated followers on the discard pile.

Fiends (Monsters) Strength 6 A hundred sparkling eyes light up from the darkness. Roll 2d6. If the result is below your craft score fight the fiends normally. Other wise you wake up in the Forest without your followers.Your followers are now prisoners of the fiends.

Demon Lord Apolayth (Monster Boss) Craft 11 Strength 10. The demon is cunning and will fight you with your weakest attribute. If you defeat Apolayth you may seize the treasure from his snivelling underlings. Take a treasure card.

Necromancer (Monster) Craft 8 - An evil necromancer is looking for fresh corpses, prepare to battle! Draw the top two spell cards for the Necromancer. Both spells must be cast towards the player in combat before battle begins.

Night Troll (Monster) Strength 7. A great, ugly brute of a troll emerges from a hole. Before the combat begins roll die. On the roll of 1-2 The trolls hammer destroys 1 piece of armour. If you have no armour lose 1 object.

Lurker (Monster) Strength 6. Roll 1 die, on a roll of 5 or 6 you are ambushed and the lurker wins the combat.

The Lost Child. (follower) You stumble upon a feral child wandering the woods. If you are good or neutral she will become your follower. Her knowledge of secret paths allows you to move one additional space or 1 space less on your turn.

Holy Knight (follower) Strength 5 The holy Knight fights evil wherever he finds it. You cannot evade any enemy with him as your follower. He will always fight first. If you pass a enemy monster on your turn you must end your turn on that space and fight the monster.

Tinker (follower) You offer to escort a tinker to the city. Whilst the tinker is with you, you may buy items from the purchase deck whenever you wish. If you land on the city the tinker must go to the discard pile.

Sidekick (follower) This lucky fellow allows you to add or subtract 1 to the die result when you land on any board space that requires you to roll a dice.

The Gambler (follower) If the gambler is your follower and a card or space instructs you to roll a die, where gold is listed on the card you may immediately choose to take it instead of rolling for the outcome.

EVENTS
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1---- Long Dark Night(Event). It is a long and dreadful night. For the next two turns all players must draw adventure cards from the Nightfall deck.

13----The Hunt (Event) The ghostly hunt is upon you and must flee four spaces anti clockwise in order to escape its deathly clutches.

15---The Insane Friar/The Zealot (Event) You are accosted by a madly religious monk. You must lose your next turn trying to get rid of him or pay him a donation of 1 gold instead.

16----The Howling (Event) The night is spent in terror of surrounding packs of wild beasts. One of your followers flee in terror.

17----Lepers (Event) A procession of the unclean pass you by. Roll a die for each follower, on a roll of 1 discard that follower after your next turn as they fall ill.

20----Ancient Tomb (Event) During the night you stumble upon an ancient burial site. Take a treasure card.

26 ----- Dusk (Event) Night has not quite fallen. You may draw a card either from the adventure deck or the night fall deck (card idea by dth)

28----Bat Swarm.(Event) You disturb a colony of sleeping bats, if you have the retainer, prince or princess as a follower they flee in terror to the discard pile. Roll a die for each follower, they will flee on a roll of 6.

32 ---- The Puppet Master (Event) You visit a circus and are bewitched by an evil circus sideshow performer, the player to your left takes control of your following turn. This turn ends immediately for you!

Flight of Dragons A flight of dragons soar through the night sky burning fires reign down and destroy all place cards on the board.

"Foul Plague" (Event) A foul plague sweeps the land. All strangers and enemy monsters and creatures on the board including characters and their followers must roll a die. On a roll of 1 or 6 they are removed to the discard pile, characters affected must lose 1 life.

PLACES
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18----The Asylum (Place) Anyone drawing this card may stay here safely until Night Fall has passed and need not draw any cards.Anyone passing by may take refuge there.You may choose to miss your following turn and heal 1 life at the Asylum.

TREASURES
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"Ring of the Frog Prince" - This ring will prevent you from being turned into a toad. After 1 use the ring becomes useless but may be sold at the tavern for 1G

"Amulet of Fate" - Once belonged to the fabled Nourns, Gain 2 fate and replenish it fully. This amulet will allow you to re roll a Fate roll once at the cost of one more fate token.

"Scarf of the Time Lords" - Add 1 to your craft, draw 1 spell and gain 1 fate. Three times per game you may teleport to any space in the outer or middle region.

"Swift Foots Staff" This ornately carved walking stick once belonged to a great traveller, who walked the realm from end to end many times. The staff allows you to add 1 or subtract 1 from your movement roll. Once per game you may roll 2d6 for your movement.

OBJECTS
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"A Ring of Roses" This rose wreath has special protective properties that make you and all who travel with you immune to any ill effects of the plague.

"Lantern" The lantern will protect you against any attacks from fiends - both you and all of your followers will not be attacked by them.